Centre mulling activating the ‘modality committee’ for tribal development in Tripura, Pradyot still waits for magic call

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, March 16, 2023

Having won Tripura in the just-concluded assembly election-albeit narrowly-the BJP central leadership is now reportedly mulling the idea of reviving the ‘modality committee’ formed in early 2019 to suggest ways and means of strengthening the ADC . As part of this ‘modality committee’ will make recommendations to increase the power of ADC which they did earlier also . The Centre which has been sitting on the 125th amendment of the constitution is likely to move a bill in this regard towards the end of the current year but ahead of the 2024 Loksabha polls.

Sources in BJP said that union home minister Amit Shah had straightway rejected the ‘Tipra Motha’s unrealistic demand for ‘Greater Tipraland’ or ‘Tipraland’ but had made a commitment that efforts will be made to further strengthen the ADC. Realising that his demands will never be met or accepted Pradyot Kishore, the ‘Tipra Motha’ supremo, had modified his demand to ‘constitutional solution’ and campaigned on this in the election . But after the election was over Amit Shah reiterated his position in a talk with ‘Motha’ delegation that a ‘modality committee’ will be formed or reactivated to look into ways and means of strengthening the ADC and developing the condition of the tribals. He summarily rejected yet again the original demands of ‘Tipra Motha’ like ‘Greater Tipraland’ or ‘Tipraland’. Pradyot Kishore and his party delegation settled for this but till now nothing has happened. It is reported that Pradyot Kishore is trying to meet the union home minister in Delhi but has not got an appointment till now.

Sources in BJP said that Amit Shah will stick to his assurances of tribal development through an action programme outlined in a paper handed over by union home ministry official to Pradyot Kishore and his delegation before the election. They said that the union home ministry will stick to the promises made before the election and offer nothing new though Pradyot Kishore has kept the paper containing promises a secret even from his closes colleagues. An announcement in this regard is likely to be made soon .

Meanwhile, according to reliable reports the BJP here is planning to put up former deputy chief minister Jishnu Debbarma as candidate for the upcoming by-election to the Dhanpur assembly constituency vacated by Pratima Bhowmik. Even though there are other contenders , sources said, Jishnu Debbarma as a party veteran and as former deputy chief minister in charge of finance, power and rural development is the likeliest choice for nomination from Dhanpur.